German government pushes for gas infrastructure investments in Ukraine

In the debate about the controversial planned direct Russian-German pipeline Nord Stream 2 and its effects on Ukraine, the German federal government wants to help ensure that the requisite modernisation of Ukraine’s gas infrastructure takes place. Germany intends to support the formation of a consortium of investors together with the European Commission, a government official said in Berlin. The government “understands well” that Ukraine wants to secure revenues from transmitting Russian gas to western European countries, he said. Plans are just beginning to take shape, and in the end, it is up to the companies involved to decide on possible investments, the official told the Clean Energy Wire.

For background, read the CLEW news digest piece Merkel says Ukraine must not be excluded from Nord Stream 2 pipeline and the factsheet Germany’s dependence on imported fossil fuels.